Complications
by speedfanatic05
Summary: Summary: Olivia worked to put her past with the President behind her but she didn't count on the complications that would arise. Set between episodes 2x7 Spies Like Us and 2x8 Defiance. Rated T.
1. Chapter 1

Complications

Spoiler: 2x7 Spies Like Us & 2x8 Defiance

Rating: T

**A/N: This is my first attempt at the Scandal fandom. I have been watching the show religiously and the urge to write finally hit between episodes 7 & 8. I'm going to delve off script somewhat and mix up some events but it will all work out in the end. Enjoy!**

**Chapter One**

Observation has always been one of the most evasive ways to understand people. Just by watching, one could ascertain all of the information they needed of a person; the slip of heartbreak leveling in the absent glance of a jilted lover, the pompous exaggerations of a guilty man act as a neon sign to the human condition, beckoning attention. Understanding people, their reactions, their rationalizations, and ultimately, their mistakes was what made Olivia Pope so damned good at what she did.

By nature, Olivia was an observer; her curiosity about the human condition fueled her keen insights and her insatiable hunger to understand why people did what they did and their reactions to the resulting consequences. This curiosity compelled her to act, to find a solution, and eventually to implement this solution. The drive to know was why she was the best of the best and why all of Washington's elite darkened her door when those mistakes were inevitably made. But for all of her tactful skills and unrelenting drive, she couldn't turn that observational gaze on herself. She had a weakness, one that would no doubt ruin her career and perhaps her life in general.

Her weakness was that she loved a man.

Her love for this man directly flew in the face of her abilities to judge all others by their moral mishaps. She knew how to work a scandal because truthfully, she knew she was only a breath away from one of her very own. The implications of their relationship would set the gossip hounds on their trail, igniting a firestorm of controversy through the streets of Washington and reverberate on the nation's conscience. That was one controversy both she and the country could do without. Even so, Olivia found that she simply couldn't let go; as much as it would benefit them, she couldn't elude the hold he had on her heart.

This man who had her heart long before he had her body was, by every account, off limits.

Still the same, Olivia loved the one man she couldn't have- The President of the United States. Sure she erected a façade and emphatically expressed that they were over but she couldn't help the residual fire that scorched every inch of her being when she thought of him. Their passion forged by similar ideals and slaked by burgeoning desires had been her best kept secret. The memory of his addictive touch taunted her every time she saw him. His smile caused her heart to flutter, his voice, rich and passionate made her quiver with excitement. It was hard to push back years of emotional and physical ties when she was constantly reminded of the bliss she found with him when she was constantly surrounded by his image, his presence.

When Olivia knew that just merely seeing him wouldn't be enough, she'd made the decision to leave his administration. Every day she had to face him, she had to restrain her lustful desires, an exhausting feat. Considering how her control unraveled under his heated gaze every time their eyes met, she'd felt safe when she handed in her resignation. Away from him, she could think clearly and process why their relationship was wrong, even though every fiber of her being wanted to justify every passionate embrace. Away from the White House, Olivia could concentrate on Olivia and be something more than the President's mistress. It was how she intended to keep it. Distance was good for them, good for his marriage, and good for her sanity. Distance would definitely benefit the country and spare the citizens of the tedious sound bites of a tawdry affair between The President and his one-time aide.

Or so she tried to tell herself.

Simply put, Olivia was addicted to Fitzgerald Grant and try as she might, she could no more ignore that addiction than she could ignore breathing. He signified everything she needed to avoid, a conflict of interest and of the heart, yet she couldn't quiet the sensual thoughts that haunted her. Their love was a specter of a life she wished for but could never have. Never in her wildest dreams did she believe that she would someday become the other woman. But his love and his passion lured her. It was a complication she was willing to shoulder. Despite everything, she loved Fitz and that is why she knew that they would never be completely finished.

Glancing at her watch, Olivia started to pace, irritated at her was she doing? Did she really want to open that festering wound left by their mutual agreement to leave each other alone? Did she want to risk everything- risk her business, her happiness, just to hear his voice?

A knock brought her out of her reverie and as she glanced back at the silent cell phone, she huffed and shifted her gaze to the door, her brow furrowing at her unannounced visitor. Waiting a second longer, she stared at the door and as she took a step closer, the phone finally came to life. There was no second guessing who was on the other end of that phone call and as the incessant pounding on her front door grew, she quickly stepped back to retrieve the cell before striding toward the door.

Olivia held the phone close to her heart as she reached the door, her hand just barely on the knob. The sporadic threading of her heart beat coupled with the now annoying thumping of the door overwhelmed her and she paused before answering either query, closing her eyes slowly and breathing outwardly. Taking a couple cleansing breaths, Olivia depressed the button on the phone and opened her eyes, anticipating the voice that haunted her dreams.

"I was starting to believe that you were going to stand me up, Liv. What took you so long?"

Hard pressed to remain angry with Fitz, especially with his glib tone, Olivia bent her lips in an effort to suppress a smile, "I was about to say the same for you. Is this a secure line?"

"As always," Fitz answered confidently. Olivia imagined that he was reclining in his seat in the Oval, the lights dimmed as he stared out of the south facing windows into the inky darkness. A few months ago, they both shared an intimate moment within that very office, skirting the precipice of destruction. At that memory, Olivia exhaled and shook her head, her lips now relaxed and upturned in a knowing grin. Fitz was the epitome of confidence; even in the eye of a firestorm, Olivia could count on him keeping his cool.

"_Olivia, open up, I know you're in there. Your car is still in the drive and your office is closed…" _

Startled by the familiar and commanding tone of Edison Davis' voice behind the door, Olivia's heart faltered slightly. In her attempts to move on from Fitz, she'd blindly rekindled her relationship with the Senator. In retrospect, it was a mistake she couldn't fix. Being in Edison's arms had been a temporary solution, a balm to soothe her broken heart after Fitz stringently proclaimed that they were through. She took the comfort that Edison offered without considering the emotional fallout and clung to him, thankful for a brief respite from the pain.

Olivia considered the door with a worried gaze even as Fitz's voice filled her ear; the confidence replaced by what she believed was regret, "Are you happy, Liv?"

Confused at Fitz' rueful tone, Olivia frowned and stammered, "H-happy?"

"_Olivia, I won't leave until you open this door."_

Now was not the time for Edison's antics and if Olivia didn't put a stop to him now, he would threaten to stick around and make good on that threat by setting up camp at her door. That simply wouldn't do.

"Do you have company, Liv? Would you like for me to hang up?"

Olivia detected a sardonic lilt in Fitz's voice and for a moment, the hurt that she desperately tried to bury deep within her heart surfaced, taking her breath. Again, Edison pounded on the door, compelling her to reach for the knob once more. She couldn't let go without hurting one or the other. Faced with a conundrum, Olivia closed her eyes and prayed for a measure of patience.

This was a complication she definitely did not need.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Complications

**Chapter Two**

**A/N: Thank you to those who read and reviewed!**

**A/N: Special thanks to my beta, Lieutenant Caine!**

**Spoiler: Episode 2.8 Happy Birthday, Mr. President**

"_I belong to you. We are in this together…" -Fitzgerald Grant_

Olivia clutched the phone as though her life depended on it, the memory of that night in the White House garden drowning out the relentless pounding on the door and forcing her to see what was right in front of her. No matter how much she wanted to forget the passion, forget the power of the love she held for Fitz, it would never materialize. That night solidified her place in Fitz's heart and essentially branded her as his. A million things stood in their way; a million voices trumpeted why casting her lot with Fitz was the wrong thing to do, but she couldn't forget his impassioned plea and how at that moment, her heart had ceased to beat for her alone. They were one in the same and as she stood there, staring at the door, she knew she couldn't fight it any longer.

_I belong to you…_

"You know, I can answer that question for you, Olivia." A silent paused filled the air before Fitz spoke again, "Are you still there? You remember the question I asked you less than two minutes ago?"

Fitz's soft tone brought Olivia to the present, shattering the ghosts of the past and forcing her to focus. The insistent pounding on the door had subsided for a moment, giving her a brief respite and allowing her to gather her thoughts. She was talking to the man whom she couldn't have while a very available, a very _capable _man stood on the other side of her door. This should've been a no brainer and she was making this harder than it really was. She and Fitz had agreed to move on, to leave their love behind. There really was no question as to what her next move should've been.

_I belong to you…_

"Answer…question?" Olivia placed her hand on the door and closed her eyes, minutely surprised that she trusted herself to speak.

"I asked you if you were happy," Fitz responded patiently. Behind her closed eyes, Olivia imagined him standing to his full height, relaxed and in his shirt sleeves as he meandered around the Resolute Desk absently. It was a look she absolutely adored; Fitz sans the connotation of the power he wielded gave him the everyman persona, a man she could hitch her wagon to without any hesitation. One she could love without any boundaries.

Thoroughly aroused simply by the serene cadence of Fitz's voice, Olivia responded breathlessly, "And you can answer that question for me?"

"Yes, I can. You're not happy, Liv. I can hear it in your voice, in the way that you breathe..."

"Fitz, I can't do this…" Olivia's pulse jumped and her core flushed with potent arousal as she struggled to catch her breath. He was doing it again, making the full court press for her heart even though she was ready and willing to give it up to him.

"You're broken, Olivia, just like me. I once told you that I exist for you, my thoughts and my actions are determined by the look on your face." The emotion in Fitz's voice clutched at Olivia's heart, giving her pause. "I once told you that I belong to you. I still do, Olivia. I belong to you."

"Fitz…" Olivia responded breathlessly.

"_I can stay here all night, Olivia." _

Edison's deep tenor broke the spell and Olivia opened her eyes and stared at the door in front of her. Edison wouldn't leave until he eyeballed her but she couldn't sever the lifeline that Fitz had thrown her. Every second she held on to the phone was a second her will was bending, the opportunity to walk away cleanly, disappearing. She had to do something, _anything_ to break the stalemate.

"You can deny us all you want, Olivia, but I know you better than you know yourself." Olivia found herself waiting on bated breath for his next words, the staccato rhythm of her heartbeat playing havoc on her sensibilities. Logic told her to hang up, disconnect him before he said something to complete the trap but she couldn't. "He couldn't give you the passion you need to survive, Liv."

"Fitz…"

"Liv…"

Exasperated, Olivia held up her hand as if Fitz could see her and implored, "Give me a minute."

Depressing the mute button, Olivia closed her eyes and took a cleansing breath before opening the door, dropping the phone to her side. The moment the door opened, she plastered on a wide smile and stood away, taking in the refined stature of Edison Davis. From his close cropped wavy hair to his kind eyes and magnificent smile, he represented everything that Olivia had ever wanted. Edison was stoic and a purveyor of truth. Those characteristics that Olivia had admired were the only things that anchored her to him. Sure, Edison had aspirations but he lacked the fire, the passion, the temerity to push past the established boundaries. He was never one to tempt fate and was always careful, cautious. Edison was safe. Edison was secure and he should've been the catch of a lifetime but he was missing the one thing that called to Olivia's carnal nature: a commanding presence.

Even as Edison's pedigree and stature towered over Olivia, she couldn't muster the feelings that affected her when she was in Fitz's presence. Before the connotation of a presidency, Fitz had this tenacity, this charismatic gravity that pulled everyone, including Olivia, into his orbit. Standing in front of Edison, Olivia didn't feel that same pull. Still the same, she greeted him with a warm embrace and a platonic kiss on the cheek as he entered, careful not to insinuate more than what was apparent.

"I was starting to wonder if I was going to have to set up camp at your door," Edison stated as he shrugged out of his coat. He eyed Olivia's stiff posture and narrowed his brow, "Am I catching you at a bad time?"

Under Edison's constant gaze, Olivia felt the nervous energy pulsating underneath her skin. Instead of giving into her notion to start pacing, she moved to close the door and then walked past him to go back into the living room.

Cognizant of the phone in her hand, she spoke rapidly, keeping her back to him, "I was taking a phone call. I'll finish it in the bedroom…"

Edison approached Olivia and reached for her, his hands settling over her shoulders and effectively skewering her escape. He could feel the tension reverberating through her and frowned, dipping his head to nuzzle her neck, "I trust it's not bad."

Caught in Edison's grasp, Olivia's thoughts dimmed and she relaxed slightly, her eyes sliding closed, "N-No…it's business, just business."

Edison traced an invisible line down her shoulder and toward her hand, reaching for the phone, "Then you can let them know you'll call them back tomorrow. You're off the clock."

"Edison," Olivia whispered breathlessly as his lips caressed the sensitive skin behind her ear. Lost in the warmth and familiarity, Olivia relaxed more, her hold on the phone in her hand lessening slightly.

"Olivia, you need a stress reliever. You're too tense."

_I belong to you…_

Suddenly, Olivia opened her eyes and stepped out of Edison's reach, tightening her grip on the phone as she struggled to regulate her breathing. Already primed by Fitz's words, Olivia's body radiated heat, heat that could only be quenched by one thing. Silence permeated the air as she glanced down at her cell and then back up to Edison, reading the concern and confusion in his eyes. Startled by the position she was in, she backed up slowly, holding her hand out to stave Edison's approach.

"I need just a minute, Edison," Olivia stated in what she hoped was a strong tone. When he approached again, she forced her hand out to stop him, "A minute, Edison, alright?"

Edison held his hands out in supplication and nodded, "A minute is what you'll get. Sixty seconds."

Olivia nodded and gave him a weary smile, the weight of the phone in her hand seemingly tripling, "Sixty seconds."

Sixty seconds to break someone's heart- including her own.

TBC…


End file.
